Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behaviors Among Children: The Role of Anger and Trait Aggression in China

Abstract The current study examined the violent video game effect on aggressive behaviors and the potential role of anger and trait aggression among Chinese children ( n = 248; M age = 6.09, SD = 0.21). Half of them were randomly assigned to play a violent or a neutral video game for 20 minutes. Results showed that brief exposure of children to a violent video game produced a small but significant increases in aggressive behaviors. More specifically, males exhibited more aggressive behaviors than females in the violent game condition. Moderation analysis suggested that the violent video game effect on aggression was not moderated by trait aggression, but this effect was mediated by increased anger (especially for males). These findings indicated that males who were exposed to a violent video game might be regarded as the key group to reduce aggression by training to vent their anger. Results are interpreted within and support the framework of the General Aggression Model (GAM).